Most people know Too Tall's Sweet & Savory as the neighborhood ice cream stop. Twist cones, sundaes, flurries, kids with sticky hands on a summer night and dogs with tails wagging as they recognize our shop. I love that.
It is exactly what I hoped this place would be when our family took over: somewhere teams stop after practice, where neighbors run into each other, where families enjoy a treat after a day in the sun.
But if you have driven by on a Wednesday morning, you may have noticed the smoke.
I came to this business with a chef's mindset. Before Too Tall's, I spent 14 years in all types of restaurants, kitchens and I’ve never stopped thinking like a Chef. My vision for Too Tall's was to grow from nostalgic sweets into real food, the kind you would seek out on its own. Barbecue felt like the natural next step. It started as a weekend thing, just me seeing if anyone would show up for brisket at an ice cream stand. People showed up.
Now, the smokehouse runs Wednesday through Sunday. Slow-smoked brisket with a peppery bark, juicy pulled pork, tender pulled chicken, rich and creamy mac and cheese, sweet and smoky baked beans, a bright citrus slaw that cuts through it all, and crispy hand-seasoned fries. The homemade BBQ sauce is built to match the meat, not cover it up. None of it is fast, and that is the point. A great brisket takes hours of low smoke, patience and love. You cannot rush it, and honestly, I would not want to. That labor of love is part of what barbecue offers people. Even from a walk-up window, it makes you stop for a minute.
This year, Revue Magazine readers voted us Top 3 for Best BBQ in Grand Rapids and our whole family could not be more honored. To be named alongside some incredible places, in a city with so much amazing food, means more than I know how to say. It did not come from a corporate playbook or chasing a trend. It came from cooking food I believe in and hoping people would taste the difference.
My goal has never been to turn Too Tall's into something unrecognizable. It is to make it more itself: a family-owned spot where one person walks up and orders a vanilla cone, the next orders brisket and mac, and everybody ends up staying a little longer than they planned. That’s one of the things we love about Too Tall’s.
So, come for the ice cream. You may just leave raving about the BBQ. Either way, our family is glad you came.
Too Tall's Sweet Treats & Savory Eats
2963 Coit Ave NE, Grand Rapids
www.tootalls.com